Lynne About Loughborough: 99 years since the Zeppelin raids on Loughborough

A little more about the Zeppelin raids on Loughborough

Some time ago I posted about a guided walk led by a friend of mine, which covered the spots hit by the Zeppelin raid on Loughborough of 31st January 1916. Next year will be the 100th anniversary of this dreadful attack, so I thought it would be appropriate to share a few links with you.

The BBC World War One at Home website has an interviewer talking to an expert about the event.

In this video, ITV take a lady back to the area of the attack.

The Charnwood Great War Centenary Project is planning a community commemoration event.

The Loughborough Roll of Honour website has an extensive account and list of those killed and injured in the attack.

The Leicester Mercury of 26 February 2014 has an account of the attack, and contains a selection of photographs.

Leicestershire Revealed, 100 Museum Objects puts exhibits from the Zeppelin raid, on show in the Carillon Museum in its top 100 items.

Last year an academic from Loughborough University gave a talk to the Friends of Charnwood Museum on the journey from the start of the war to the Zeppelin raid on Loughborough.

The borough council have produced a self-guided walk, which encompasses The Rushes, site of one of the bombings.

Information on the Leicestershire War Memorials Project.

In 2000 this artefact was put up for auction: "Loughborough, Leicestershire, 42mm, in silver, die struck medallion, obverse with profile of Herbert Morris and inscription ‘Carry on’, reverse inscribed ‘Herbert Morris Limited, Empress Works Loughborough, in appreciation of services rendered Aug. 4th 1914 - Nov. 11th 1918’, edge inscribed ‘Walter Williams’, contained in its original hinged fitted case of issue, extremely fine £40-50". I believe it actually went for £130.

There's a tiny bit on the raids under the heading "1916" on Wikipedia, but not mention specifically of Loughborough.

The new artwork by Silent Hobo installed in Devonshire Square, above the shops, has a Zeppelin as one of its images.

An interesting initiative on Twitter, although not directly related to the Zeppelin raids on Loughborough, helps inform people today by sharing the war diary of William Grudgings, a former schoolteacher from Cobden Street School who signed up in 1916.

The recently re-discovered war diaries of Alfred Angrave, from the Leicestershire Regiment, have just started to be shared on Twitter.

In two of the locations where the bombs fell, there are granite crosses still to be seen, and one brass plaque on Empress Road, and another housed in the Carillon Museum.